Listen to the homily here.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Sunday, February 28, 2016
One Question: Parish Bulletin--2-28-16
One question for Lent this year:
How are you helping the Operation
Rice Bowl to give food to the poor?
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Monday, February 22, 2016
Education + St. Thomas Aquinas School: Parish Bulletin--2-21-16
This
weekend I would like to share about education in our area. In my own life, learning has been an
important part of each day. Both
of my parents taught public school in McGregor, Minnesota for over thirty
years. Inspired by their
profession, I completed my Bachelor’s degree and teaching license from The
College of St. Scholastica, Duluth to become a high school math teacher. Education is essential. Receiving a high quality education from
caring teachers in my formative years was an immense blessing.
We, too, in the North Country have
much to be grateful for. As I said
during the Mass at our Catholic School Week celebration, you, dear teachers (as
well as administrative, coaches, helpers, volunteers, etc.): you are awesome. St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Columban
churches have several teachers that work here at St. Thomas Aquinas, as well as
Falls, Littlefork-Big Falls and Indus schools. Praise God for the vocation of teaching in your life! You are a blessing to the children of
our area, and your expertise in education gives glory to God. Let us continuously raise grateful
hearts to Jesus, the best teacher, ask his continued blessing upon our
community schools.
As
I write these, a crucial belief of our Catholic Church is that the parents must
be the best teachers of their children.
This is what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says: “Education in the faith by the parents
should begin in the child’s earliest years. This already happens when family members help one another to
grow in faith by the witness of a Christian life in keeping with the Gospel”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church #2226).
As you parents determine how your children are educated—whether within public
or private institutions, or if you choose to home school, seek God with prayer. As
your pastor, I would like to share few points of pride that our Catholic school
at St. Thomas Aquinas offers:
1.)
Jesus
Christ: I often use the verse
over and over about children: “Jesus said,
‘Let the children come to me…’” (Matthew 19:14a). Jesus Christ taught while he was
on earth. He has been the best
teacher of humanity. Period. Now, through his Church and parochial
schools around the world Jesus continues to teach through his brothers and
sisters in Baptism. Any good that
comes from a Catholic education is through his grace (and our cooperation with
his abundant grace).
2.)
Faith: In addition to designated religion
classes, students of St. Thomas Aquinas are able to translate the head
knowledge of the faith into heart knowledge. Through Jesus Christ, the children learn to pray well and to
pray with His heart. Our children
pray several times each day in class, before lunch, before the end of the day, when
they hear sirens of emergency response vehicles passing by the school. Most importantly, the Mass, the
greatest of prayers, is celebrated at least once a week. Prayer is a reflexive and authentic way
of life for the students of St. Thomas Aquinas.
3.)
No Bullying: As a big issue in all schools, we
believe that bullying must be cut out.
The way we do it at St. Thomas Aquinas is by focusing on the dignity of
each person. By helping children
learn about their dignity and the dignity of each other as sons and daughters
of God, lessons from the Bible are given an immediate and practical
application. Our children learning
about sin, forgiveness and love are necessity from our school.
4.)
Pre-School will be free next year: We, too,
would enjoy more children at St. Thomas Aquinas. Our pre-school will be especially for our members of our
Catholic church, as well as families who have already have children here for
school. As we would like many
families for children of pre-school we will be setting our maximum of a single
teacher.
5.)
Alumni
relations: We are proud of our
school, and recognize that generations of students have gone on to do wonderful
things in their lives and communities.
We are working through an idea to bring our alumni to help St. Thomas
Aquinas School as well. We will
continue to work hard to get our school family back together! As we work on improving our alumni
network here are some questions for you to pray about: Are there families,
friends or coworkers you can invite to check out our school? Do you know people who would like to
visit the school to check out pre-school or another grade? Do you have any other ideas that I, as
well as our principal would love to hear?
We give God praise and thanks for
the good work he has begun at St. Thomas Aquinas School. Please continue to pray for all
involved in continuing a tradition of academic excellence while forming the
hearts of our children to live as intentional disciples of Jesus.
God Bless!
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
Operation Rice Bowl: Parish Bulletin--2-14-16
As Lent began on Ash Wednesday, do you remember
our challenge last year for Lent?
(Gossip with wristbands…and some are still wearing them!).
This year I would like a new challenge: Operation Rice Bowl. I would like each person/family to grow
helping the poor.
Pat
Bjorum, our deanery representative for this project, shared some good things of
this undertaking: “Catholic Relief Services which sponsors Operation Rice Bowl allows dioceses who participate in Rice Bowl to
keep 25% of the collection in the local communities of the diocese. This
is to be used to for local hunger and poverty alleviation projects. Our
Bishop Sirba has promoted this local use in our diocese through Patrice Menor of
the Social Justice Apostolate.”
This
is a cool part of our Diocese of Duluth—seeking out the hungry, homeless and
poverty to help our brothers and sisters in our family of the Church. As Pope Francis has given us the Jubilee of Mercy, God’s mercy is serving
these men, women and children.
While Operation Rice Bowl will serve people in many places in the world, Pat
added that we have many opportunities in our area as well: “…Falls Hunger
Coalition, Backus Community Café Summer Lunch Program for Children, and
Servants of Shelter.”
First,
grab an Operation Rice Bowl for you
or your family!
Next, think—where
will you keep the bowl at the best place?
The shelf by your door you walk in? On your television?
Next to your mirror? (Mine
will sit in my truck to help me remember the change I receive paying things).
Finally, let’s do
this!
God Bless!
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Monday, February 8, 2016
40 Days: Parish Bulletin--2-6-16
Praise God after a wonderful Catholic Schools Week.
I would like to say, “Thank you” to Sabrina Etienne and Dawn
Flesland for the last two bulletins.
I have enjoyed reading about our faith formation and school on my vacation! When I got home, I heard from several
parishioners that they were happy about our students in faith formation and in
the school. Perhaps we can continue
to include them in our weekly bulletin.
As
you read this bulletin, remember that Lent begins on Ash Wednesday this week
(February 10th). Check
the bulletin for our scheduled times for masses.
Lent
gives us forty days to walk with Jesus Christ. Jesus himself spent days in the desert: “Filled with the holy Spirit, Jesus returned
from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days, to be
tempted by the devil. He ate
nothing during those days, and when they were over he was hungry” (Luke
4:1-2). While the battle began
between Jesus and the devil, he dominated this through his death and
resurrection.
Lent is time for us to grow in our faith, our soul and our
lives. A few ideas to help us for
these days:
·
How can I pray each day during Lent? (attending daily mass, spend five minutes
speaking with God and praying the rosary).
·
What can I do to help my spiritual life each
day? (read the Bible, Rediscovery Jesus, read books, listen to
CD’s or DVD’s).
·
How can I give up something like food or
drink? (chocolate, pop, beer,
dessert, etc.).
·
How could I help another person? (Visit the sick in the hospital or
nursing home, purchase items on the food shelf shopping list, teach a child, a
simple telephone call to someone in need).
·
What could I give away? (Clothes, possessions, worldly time…)
Forty days in Lent. Let’s do it well.
God Bless!
The conversations Isaiah and Peter had with God: 5th Sunday Ordinary Time
Listen to this homily here.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Wednesday, February 3, 2016
Tuesday, February 2, 2016
40 days after Christmas...40 days of Lent is coming: Tuesday, February 2nd, 2016
Listen to the homily here.
Monday, February 1, 2016
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